PRESS RELEASE / PUBLIC NOTICE
Maine Vocals Announces The 2010 Initiative,
“An Act To Repeal The Prohibition On Cannabis Hemp / Marijuana” In Maine.
Maine citizens are fed up with the Failed Politics of
Prohibition and the never ending pipeline of funding that threatens to bankrupt
us. It is time for a change in the system that segregates and persecutes those
who use or believe that marijuana should be legal. It’s time for a little common
sense to prevail instead of Reefer Madness.
The Initiative language includes a $20.00 per ounce tax on the sale of
marijuana, and has a probable fiscal impact of $78,000,000 to $120,000,000 per
year in the State of Maine depending on the actual number of people who use
marijuana and how much per week they may consume. (If 100,000 people use ˝ to 1
ounce or more weekly, then the above average could apply. We feel this is a
conservative figure and with our Vacation-land status, it could be much more.)
There is also a 5% sales tax which would be substantial, in excess of
$50,000,000 if using the same above method at $200.00 per ounce retail.
There will also be fees for grow permits and licenses for establishments that sell marijuana or clubs that allow consumption of marijuana on premises, which will be substantial.
Fees for grow permits 100 plants or less $100.00 yrly
Over 100 plants $300.00 yrly
Establishments Selling Marijuana Fees $400.00 yrly
It allows for adult consumption of Marijuana and puts a minimum age limit of 19
yrs old for the adult status. This should give way to some type of regulation
now on the youth as there is none at this time, but it also keeps them from
being considered criminals if they do consume, as far as being able to go to
college. This is currently a big problem for some young people.
There are many benefits to legalization as well as the savings to the State with Law Enforcement, Incarcerations (County + State), Court Costs, Probation and much more.
It will also free up space needed in the correctional facilities and law enforcement for real crimes.
This will also bring back the Hemp Industry to Maine. It is a multi million dollar industry that at this time is being supplied by many other Countries because it is illegal to grow in the USA. It is ridiculous that our farmers are not afforded the same privileges as the Canadian farmers are. The USA purchased over 85% of the hemp grown in Canada last year. Our farmers cannot compete with this prohibition. It is unacceptable and must be changed now.
Maine Citizen’s are sick and tired of this endless
wasted spending on these failed policies which are based on myth, with no facts
or research supporting Cannabis Hemp / Marijuana Prohibition. We ask all
citizens to get involved to Help End Marijuana Prohibition by contacting us,
helping to collect the signatures and not only getting out to vote, but actively
get all the people you know out to vote when the time comes. This is one of the
biggest controversial issues of our times and now is the time to be Vocal and do
something about it.
We The People want this law fixed without legislative intervention…
Contact us at: Maine
Vocals E-Mail mainevocals@msn.com
65 Shusta Rd. Web Site www.mainevocals.net
Madison, Maine 04950 Tel. 207-696-8167
PRESS RELEASE / PUBLIC NOTICE
Maine Citizens For Medical Marijuana Announces The 2010 Initiative,
“AN ACT REGARDING POSSESSION AND CULTIVATION OF MARIJUANA
FOR MEDICAL PURPOSES” In Maine.
The proposal will Repeal and Replace the current law and will spell out what the people want and need the language to be in order to have a working functional medical marijuana law and system for our medical patients and caregivers. The language is clear and leaves no second guessing for our governor and legislators.
The difference between the previous legislation and this
new effort is that common sense was used for this people’s effort, with patients
and caregivers, instead of being written or amended by those who don’t want,
care or know anything about marijuana and what it really takes to have a
functional law.
The current law is unacceptable to most patients, and many will not participate,
giving up their Doctor / Patient confidentiality or allowing unwarranted
searches of their homes as patients, thus giving up their constitutional rights.
The Mandatory ID Card System is the opposite of what the Citizens voted for,
which was put in place by legislators.
It is a Conflict of Interest for the Dept. of Health +Human Services to oversee this program because of their current policies regarding marijuana which removes children from parents who use marijuana, and other related issues. We believe that this should have been assigned to the Dept. of Agriculture; after all it is a plant as well as a medicinal herb. Hemp will also be overseen by this Dept. one would presume.
Many Doctors are not cooperating with their patients who want to use marijuana in their therapy, denying them the right to a legal status and protection under the law even though their diagnosed condition is one of the accepted conditions under the law. This needs to be changed so that those who are “Diagnosed with an acceptable condition under Maine Law are eligible also.” This will allow the patient to have some say in their therapy without any pressure on the Doctors.
The Amount of plants needs to go up and the amount of marijuana a patient can possess needs to be drastically increased in order to be able to harvest their plants, which is not possible under the current law. Plants can yield a ˝ lb to 1 lb, and the current law allows patients to possess 2 ˝ ounces. The law is written for failure, and must be changed.
If the patients just harvest their plants now they are in jeopardy of being arrested and charged.
These plus other common sense policies are included in the initiative which should have been done in the beginning. This initiative has been well thought out, may not be perfect, but looks at all the aspects of a workable system from patients and caregiver perspective, not just off the wall politics. Please make it a point to read this proposal so you know what it is really all about. The Medical Marijuana issue has been voted on twice now and won with about 60% of the voters or more, but the law is now worse than the original law instead of getting better, which is unacceptable. We The People want this law fixed without legislative intervention…
Contact us at: Maine Vocals E-Mail mainevocals@msn.com
65 Shusta Rd. Web Site www.mainevocals.net
Madison, Maine 04950 Tel. 207-696-8167